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We hear more and more about how intensive animal production is, and how there are too many animals in production... But how can we know if one country produces more pigs than another?
The answer is not as simple as it seems. The size of the country is an obvious factor, but if we want to know how intensive pig production is in a country, we have to go one step further.
Instead of comparing the pig inventory to km2 of the country, we have compared it to km2 of arable land*. This gives us a more accurate idea of the size of the pig industry in relation to the country's agricultural resources.
Graph 1. Evolution of pigs / km2 of arable land between 2010 and 2020 in the main European producing countries.
*Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops.
